THE GEOGRAPHY OF MONEY
the pieces of eight of
piratic days on the
Spanish Main still sur
vive.
FIRST COINS OF UNITED
STATES APPEAR
IN 1794
In 1794 the silver
coins of the new na
tion began to appear
the half dime, half
dollar, and dollar. In
1795 came the half
eagle and eagle in
gold. The silver dime
and quarter dollar ap
peared in 1796, as did .
the quarter eagle. The-
,
double eagle, however,
,
'
was not struck for cir-
'
culation until 1850.
Of these the half
dime has been dis
placed by the nickel
five-cent piece. The
'
present one-cent piece
has been added and
completes the metal
currency as now in use.
Other coins have
been issued, main
tained for a time and
discontinued. Athree
dollar gold piece was
minted from 1853 to
1890; a one-dollar
YOUNC
gold piece from 1849
More clothes and
to 1890; a trade silver
the mysterious devi
dollar for use inChina, beyond.
that was heavier than
the standard coin, from 1873 to 1887; a
three-cent silver piece from 1851 to 1873;
a three-cent nickel piece from 1865 to
1890. A two-cent bronze piece, a big one
cent copper, a one-cent nickel piece, and a
half-cent copper, have each been minted
for a time and abandoned.
Mexico and most of the countries that
were once a part of the Spanish Empire
stamp their coins "peso,"
but they are
commonly called "dollars." Canada, though
a British dominion, uses a dollar which,
at par, is of equal value with ours. China
stamps "dollar" on its coins, and Japan
has its comparative coin called a "yen."
Photograph by Maynard Owen Williams
SDEVIL-WORSHIPERS OF ARMENIA
less jewelry might be better for these children of
1-worshipers, scattered from Baghdad to Van and
The old Spanish pieces of eight, named
"Spanish milled dollars" on the paper
money of American Revolution days, have
influenced the currency of a good part of
the world, particularly of the regions that
prefer silver.
One other great monetary evolution,
probably the most stupendous in its im
mediate results of any since the Lydians
stamped their first coins, has been the
recent world dominance of gold and its
displacement of silver as the international
standard of value.
Silver reigned as the money metal from
200 years before Caesar until the latter